A Glow in the Dark: Starting a Campfire

Here are a few tips I use up in the Cascades; some are repeats of others:
• Hand sanitizer works great to keep the flame going as does Vaseline + Cotton. Both of which live in my first aid kit with other fire starters and flint.
• Create a hearth over the wood to keep the rain from drowning it during early stages and you can use this technique to create a windblock; this also how I dry out the damp\wet wood
• Put wood, boughs or rocks down on the wet ground for a fire base otherwise the moisture will seep up into the fire and put it out.
• Birch bark is awesome with all the oil in it…this stuff will take a flame like nothing else….even damp.
• Cedar is also outstanding (bark and innards) crack it over large rocks or chop into it to get at the dry insides.
• Spanish moss (that green fluffy stuff hanging in the trees) is great tinder if it is dry.
• Start with tinder and small twigs and work up to larger branches\logs; you want to get a good coal base before loading on the big damp logs…else you’ll be starting over.
• When possible use the wind to your advantage so it can help fuel the fire with oxygen.
• Peel bark off smaller twigs to help get the fire going as it’ll often burn even when wet and dries very quickly.
• Use wood from a tree that has been zapped by lightening as dries fast and will often burn even damp
• Dig under the base of trees for dry stuff (pine needles, forest goo, etc)

Here are a few tips I use up in the Cascades; some are repeats of others:
• Hand sanitizer works great to keep the flame going as does Vaseline + Cotton. Both of which live in my first aid kit with other fire starters and flint.
• Create a hearth over the wood to keep the rain from drowning it during early stages and you can use this technique to create a windblock; this also how I dry out the damp\wet wood
• Put wood, boughs or rocks down on the wet ground for a fire base otherwise the moisture will seep up into the fire and put it out.
• Birch bark is awesome with all the oil in it…this stuff will take a flame like nothing else….even damp.
• Cedar is also outstanding (bark and innards) crack it over large rocks or chop into it to get at the dry insides.
• Spanish moss (that green fluffy stuff hanging in the trees) is great tinder if it is dry.
• Start with tinder and small twigs and work up to larger branches\logs; you want to get a good coal base before loading on the big damp logs…else you’ll be starting over.
• When possible use the wind to your advantage so it can help fuel the fire with oxygen.
• Peel bark off smaller twigs to help get the fire going as it’ll often burn even when wet and dries very quickly.
• Use wood from a tree that has been zapped by lightening as dries fast and will often burn even damp
• Dig under the base of trees for dry stuff (pine needles, forest goo, etc)

Here are a few tips I use up in the Cascades; some are repeats of others:
• Hand sanitizer works great to keep the flame going as does Vaseline + Cotton. Both of which live in my first aid kit with other fire starters and flint.
• Create a hearth over the wood to keep the rain from drowning it during early stages and you can use this technique to create a windblock; this also how I dry out the damp\wet wood
• Put wood, boughs or rocks down on the wet ground for a fire base otherwise the moisture will seep up into the fire and put it out.
• Birch bark is awesome with all the oil in it…this stuff will take a flame like nothing else….even damp.
• Cedar is also outstanding (bark and innards) crack it over large rocks or chop into it to get at the dry insides.
• Spanish moss (that green fluffy stuff hanging in the trees) is great tinder if it is dry.
• Start with tinder and small twigs and work up to larger branches\logs; you want to get a good coal base before loading on the big damp logs…else you’ll be starting over.
• When possible use the wind to your advantage so it can help fuel the fire with oxygen.
• Peel bark off smaller twigs to help get the fire going as it’ll often burn even when wet and dries very quickly.
• Use wood from a tree that has been zapped by lightening as dries fast and will often burn even damp
• Dig under the base of trees for dry stuff (pine needles, forest goo, etc)

Tim, if you got paid for writing that article, you should give the money back. I agree with Steve C, "To build a fire" hits the nail on the head, Practice, Practice, Practice, is always the best medicine,... BP- I still love you though:)

Cool stuff. I frequent the woods often and I always carry alternative sources of fire making. Specifically, flint and steel set, strike anywhere matches, and a magnesium stick. All in various pockets. I also came up with the idea of scraping off an ample amount of the magnesium stick and keeping it in a water- proof match container. Just in case I have a cold weather emergency. Can you imagine being wet and shivering trying to scrape off enough magnesium to build a fire?

This article reminded me of this I already knew. Some of us forget from time to time, but lucky for us we have Backpacker.com.

Thanks for everything guys.
John, US Army Dog Handler, Fort Rucker, Al.

Criticism is fine, but how about offering alternatives. Anyone can critique but if you want results, offer up some of your own.

For instance, the cedar is incredibly dense, as such, on a rainy day, locating a cedar tree is a gold mine. Use the dry wood in the "heart" of the tree as tinder or even kindling. On dry days, the whispy bark of the cedar makes excellent tinder.

I agree with you guys. I have to admit that the only reason I continue to subscribe to Backpacker is for the pictures and gear reviews. Rarely do I actually learn anything new about backpacking/camping from it. For that you're better off reading Boys Life from the Boy Scouts ;)

this site is getting old,same people, same advice,how about expanding beyond entry level?

If this is all you have to offer. I can get more info almost any place. I dont need backpacker. You folks can do better and your readers deserve better. Give us a good piece on this subject. but everyone need to understand nothing beats practicing.

Are you serious? That does no one any good. Of course you need to find dry wood. And if im in a survival sitch, last thing im thinking about is leaving a burn ring...

I expected more information than a few short paragraphs. Pretty lame.

great info... for pre-schoolers

This topic has so much potential and was a real disappointment to realize it was relegated to about 3 short paragraphs and 3-4 sentences. The best comparison I can make is expecting to hear the winning Lottery numbers, only to get cut off after "The winning numbers are..."

10-4 that Allen Force. Your secrect is also mine. You can cram a ton of cotton balls into a film can. I've watched a single cotton ball burn for minutes using this method.

Cheers

Nothing new in the article, but thanks Clay for the tip about cotton balls. That was worth reading.

Disappointing! No useful new info--everyone knows those things.

That's it?
A bit of a let down don't you think?
Cotton balls dipped in vaseline and stored in a film canister is the secret to my success...

Duh!

This is a decent tip for the city boy, but this could have been broadened in many ways.

Always try to carry a small bottle of alcohol based hand sanitizer, it works wonders for starting a fire in damp weather, aside from its obvious uses.

There are many forms of flint strikers that are small and easily clipped to a belt loop or backpack. This little tool takes a bit of getting used to but once perfected it can be a life saver in any weather.

Im sure many of you can come up with quite a few more tips to add.

You've got to be kidding. Use dry wood & stay out of the wind? That's your tips for how to "Light a Fire in Any Weather"?? I think it's time to send Tim H. camping somewhere a little more challenging than a KOA Kamping Kabin.

While I would agree that it is something that every Boy Scout should know, most of the the information contained in Backpacker 101 is. In some cases there is additional information but therein is why I as a Scoutmaster subscribe. I would, however, have appreciated at least the same information in this story as I can get from the Boy Scouts and would commend for the writers information the Boy Scout Handbook or the Fieldbook, both of which are Bibles for outdoor excursions. Overall this magazine rocks and is as great source for the advanced backpacker as it is for the beginner. I commend you for your efforts and thank you for, "keeping on keeping on."

My advice is to practice at home in all kinds of weather. It sounds simple enough - to build a fire - but most people haven't tried in the rain, snow or humidity. Jack London wrote a great short story called 'To Build a Fire' which every backpacker should read. So read up and next time it rains, go out to the back yard and try your hand at this ancient skill. Then you'll be better prepared for when you need it.

I'm sorry my e-mail must have cut off the important part, can you re-send the "Starting a Campfire" article?
Thanks
;)
David P.

D'Oh! "Backpacker" for the FNG?

Soundbite mentality for the gifted...
Uh, oh! Gotta go text someone...

After such a promising title, the article gave a little smoke but no fire. Is this a skill or an advertisment.

That's just common sense and Leave no Trace basics. Every Boy Scout knows this, nothing new here.

I don't get it.
is this an add for some merchandize

These are ideas that anyone would think of, I would have expected more from the likes of Backpacker!

This is awesome!

There is no useful information in this article, like what kind of firestarters to carry, matches, mag block, spark starters, cotton with alcohol.
Try again

I've also found dry kindling under river banks in the form of flood debris (brash) caught up in tree roots and I've also found dry matter in the lee of trees. Often there are dead branches on trees at the edge of the forest in open areas. Because they're exposed to wind and sun the most, they're going to be dry enough that the terminal twigs will catch alight.

Hardly definitive advice for starting a fire in adverse conditions. How about advice regarding tinder? What about fuzz sticks? Matchless fire starting? There's lots of stuff that could be discussed in this sort of thing. Dig into stumps for pitchwood....egads.

This article only had 2 sentences about fire starting. What a letdown!

A burn restriction often means no burning of anything. That means no candles, and maybe cold food. LED lights or lanterns are far safer than candles, anytime.